Carpet Cleaning 101

Take a good look at your carpets. After a long and fabulous summer of bare feet and busy traffic, they're probably looking a little, if not a lot, worn.

Next to having a carpet cleaning company come in (and this may be necessary if you haven't had your carpets cleaned for a few years), or rolling up rugs and taking them to the cleaners, here are cleaning tips that will help clean and freshen them – and keep them that way!

Start by giving all carpets in the house a good vacuum. Take your time especially if you have plush carpeting, which means dirt can become deeply embedded. The house cleaners at MOLLY MAID recommend that you go over every section of carpet several times, passing the vacuum headslowlyto allow the suction to remove all the dust and dirt.

While you are vacuuming, pay extra attention to areas where your family and friends tend to sit and gather together. Heavy traffic areas need extra special cleaning – we recommend using a crisscross pattern of overlapping passes.

Use a special stain removal product for carpets – if there are stains you missed when they occurred. Be sure to follow application directions.

After the deep clean vacuum, refresh carpets by sprinkling baking soda over them, letting it sit to absorb odours for at least 10 minutes and up to a few hours, then vacuuming up the baking soda.

If you decide to steam clean carpets yourself, check the manufacturer's instructions of the carpeting before you do. Cleaning methods can vary by fibre. If you rent a carpet cleaning machine from a nearby home supply store, use the recommended cleaning products including the pre-spot remover for the most visible spots.

Once carpets are in good shape again, frequent vacuuming will help prolong the life of your carpet by preventing a buildup of gritty particles such as sand and other dirt that can actually cut carpet fibers. A weekly vacuum with good suction and a rotating head will keep most carpets looking their best. If you have pets that go outside or heavy daily traffic throughout your home, carpets might need to be vacuumed more than once a week.

For delicate carpets, use a more delicate touch. Don't use the rotating head on hand-woven or hand-tufted carpets for example.

Use the crevice tool regularly to clean around baseboards and radiators and other hard-to-reach places.

Adding baking soda to the bag in your vacuum will help fight odours. Be sure to always change the bag before it gets too full. The suction will remain at full power, and you'll prolong the life of your vacuum cleaner too.

When there's a Spill

If you can catch a spill when it's fresh, there's a good chance you will remove it completely. The house cleaners at MOLLY MAID recommend this quick guide to treating spots and spills:

Blot or scrape the area to remove as much of the spill as possible.

Then apply a cleaning solution (test the cleaner in an inconspicuous spot first to make sure it won't damage or discolour the carpet). Work from the outside of the stain toward the inside to avoid spreading the stain and to blot up all the moisture. Never rub a spot when you are trying to clean it, as there's a chance you could spread out the stain.

Use a clean white towel for drying the carpet (so no colour dye from the towel will transfer to the carpet) and then brush the nap back up.

If there is still too much moisture after blotting the carpet, put a few white towels over the spot and weigh them down with a heavy object. The moisture should be absorbed or it could lead to mould.

A clean house has never been so simple!

The MOLLY MAID Cleaning Handbook is full of easy cleaning methods, tips and advice. Cleaning can be fast and simple; from tackling the clutter to scrubbing the bathtub, the cleaning experts at MOLLY MAID will be with you every step of the way. With a system as efficient as MOLLY MAID, you’ll have plenty of time left over to enjoy your sparkling home.